


east of eden

by bisexualoftheblade



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, F/M, Introspection, Post-Book 2: Crooked Kingdom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 04:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30083721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualoftheblade/pseuds/bisexualoftheblade
Summary: Kaz waits for Inej to return and wonders if he is worthy of even waiting for that.
Relationships: Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa
Comments: 9
Kudos: 44





	east of eden

Inej has sailed off into the distance, leaving Kaz behind. He knows she will return, she promised, but he doesn’t know when that will be. Weeks later, Kaz begins to wonder if she is even still alive. After all, even The Wraith can be hurt.

Kaz tries not to think about what Van Eck and Dunyasha did to her, he can’t afford himself that luxury, can’t think about bloodied towels and brushed skin. Not now, not with her gone.

But there is no one he can send after her, not anymore.

Matthias is dead. He is lying in the ground and he isn’t coming back. The man had come back from so many things, but no one could cheat death, not truly. If they could, Kaz would have taken advantage of that long ago.

A crumpled body with black hair flashes across his mind and he isn’t sure if he is seeing Jordie or Inej.

Jesper and Wylan are happy and have normal lives, he can’t bother them. They made it out, a miracle in their world.

Nina is grieving. He may be known as Dirtyhands, but even he wouldn’t stain his reputation by pulling her into this.

Reputation. That’s what this is. It’s about his reputation, about strength. The Wraith must be a presence in the Dregs, it’s how fear is maintained.

He doesn’t love her.

He _can’t_ love her.

He loves her.

She has to come home.

He begins to watch the dock religiously — it might be the first religion he truly believes in. Inej’s voice echoes in his mind, “Men mock the gods until they need them” she had said. But he had found religion in Inej, and he needed her, so where was she?

Every white sail that appears on the horizon is like a breath of fresh air, and then a knife to the chest when he sees the ship it belongs to.

Her ship finally comes in. She is safe. She is _alive_.

He can feel her heart beating under his fingertips. When did he start touching her? It doesn’t matter. He can touch her. He can kiss her, face to face, armor finally gone.

Kaz kisses her and it feels like coming home, like the whole world has become just the two of them. He is safe.


End file.
